Pamela Anderson and Tristan MacManusAnderson's first season: sixth place, Season 10 with Damian WhitewoodMacManus' best finish: fifth place, Season 13 with Nancy GraceOf all the new pairs, this one has the most potential and is the most intriguing. No offense to Nancy Grace and Gladys Knight, but MacManus has been due a younger partner (comparably) with dance ability — and more importantly, ableness — like many of his fellow male pros have had. (You know he hasn't been able to bring out his best stuff the past two seasons.) He's also a better match for Anderson physically than Whitewood, who was on the shorter side and never quite jelled with the Baywatch babe's dry humor. MacManus has also built quite the fan base over the past year, which could carry them if Anderson does her thing on the floor.Grade: 7Helio Castroneves and Chelsie HightowerCastroneves' first season: champion, Season 5 with Julianne HoughHightower's best finish: fourth place, Season 8 with Ty MurrayLike Hough, Hightower is young, cute, blonde and perky, but her modern, athletic style might not mesh that well with Castroneves' old-school showman's charm. Plus, let's face it, the Indy 500 champ wasn't the best dancer in Season 5 and was as successful as he was mostly due to his exuberant chemistry with Hough, who was adept at playing to his goofy strengths. Can he duplicate the magic with Hightower?Grade: 5Shawn Johnson and Derek HoughJohnson's first season: champion, Season 8 with Mark BallasHough's best finish: three-time champion, Season 7 with Brooke Burke, Season 10 with Nicole Scherzinger and Season 11 with Jennifer GreyCan you say "favorites"? Hough, who had no returning partners, lucked out with the best female celeb in the mix, but it's not like he needs any more luck. He's already a judges' favorite, arguably the best choreographer, the show's only three-time champ, and has never finished worse than sixth place (just once) in his nine seasons on Dancing. If Johnson's surgically repaired knee that forced her to retire from gymnastics holds up, expect them to be in the finals.Grade: 10

Drew Lachey and Anna TrebunskayaLachey's first season: champion, Season 2 with Cheryl BurkeTrebunskaya's best finish: runner-up, Season 10 with Evan LysacekLachey is Trebunskaya's first true contender since Lysacek, and the two go way back — Lachey and Burke beat Trebunskaya and Jerry Rice in Season 2. Add in the 98 Degrees member's constant presence on Dancing over the years, and the familiarity ought to be there. The only question is if Trebunskaya can step up her choreography to "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" standards.Grade: 7Gilles Marini and Peta MurgatroydMarini's first season: runner-up, Season 8 with Cheryl BurkeMurgatroyd's best finish: champion, Season 14 with Donald DriverThis is the male equivalent of the Shawn Johnson get. Marini remains one of the show's most naturally gifted male celebs, and his loss to Johnson still has many fans crying foul. Murgatroyd concocted an unforgettable freestyle for Driver, but she'll need to come up with more challenging and memorable routines worthy of Marini's talent. But even if they don't win, they'll probably wipe the floor in the skin department. Grade: 9Kelly Monaco and Val ChmerkovskiyMonaco's first season: champion, Season 1 with Alec MazoChmerkovskiy's best finish: 10th place, Season 14 with Sherri ShepherdThis one is the biggest question mark. Monaco might as well have been on a different show back in the six-week-long Season 1, while Chmerkovskiy hasn't lasted long enough on either of his previous two seasons to show what he's capable of as a choreographer and a teacher. On top of that, he's had two very different relationships with his past partners, Elisabetta Canalis (non-existent) and Shepherd (too in-your-face). If Monaco's too rusty and/or they don't click, they could be out early. That being said, her soap fan base ought to be able to buy her a few weeks.Grade: 6Apolo Anton Ohno and Karina SmirnoffOhno's first season: champion, Season 4 with Julianne HoughSmirnoff's best finish: champion, Season 13 with J.R. MartinezSmirnoff is at her best with a talented and game partner, and Ohno is just that. Their relentless work ethics will be a match made in a heaven and it would just be a matter of if their chemistry is the same. Like Castroneves, Ohno is partly adored for his playful, brother-sister vibe with Hough, and Smirnoff's tough love, drill sergeant ways is the complete opposite from the former pro.Grade: 8Dancing with the Stars premieres Monday, Sept. 24 at 8/7c on ABC.What do you think of the new pairs?